"Buzz—"
The case was opened.
Everyone present, the moment they saw what was inside, felt their pupils contract violently!
Inside the case were several pieces of extremely pure, ancient-looking golden artifacts!
A dazzling, almost blinding golden radiance burst out instantly from the suitcase, dyeing the entire conference room into a sea of gold.
For a brief moment, the Marines' highest-ranking combat powers were all stunned.
They exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they saw the same trace of confusion.
Gold was certainly a hard currency.
But… just one case?
No matter how pure the gold was, for an enormous war machine like the Marines, this was just a drop in the ocean.
Did the Fleet Admiral really make such a big deal… just for this?
"Crunch…"
Garp was the first to break the silence. He grabbed a rice cracker and shoved it into his mouth, chewing with an exaggerated crunch.
"Sengoku, are you kidding me?"
"This lousy little box of junk isn't even enough to cover a single month's worth of my rice cracker expenses!"
Sengoku looked at the identical expressions of disappointment and confusion on everyone's faces, and the corners of his mouth curved into a satisfied smile.
This was exactly the reaction he wanted.
He didn't answer directly but turned his gaze to Tsuru standing beside him.
The two had already discussed everything on the way back.
Vice Admiral Tsuru understood instantly and spoke calmly:
"Garp, don't rush."
"This is only a sample. Inside the Navy Headquarters' Warehouse No. 0, there's half a warehouse filled with this same kind of gold."
Half a warehouse?
Zephyr frowned slightly. "Half a warehouse sounds like a lot."
"But if we're talking about supporting the Marines breaking free from the World Government and operating independently… it's still nowhere near enough."
"Exactly."
Sengoku took over the conversation.
He looked at everyone, speaking each word slowly and deliberately:
"Half a warehouse is just an appetizer."
"Above the sky, on Skypiea, there exists an entire city… built entirely of gold!"
"!!!"
"…"
"An entire… golden city?"
The meeting room fell into complete silence.
This piece of news was like a massive bomb detonating inside everyone's minds!
"This…"
Garp froze mid-chew, his rice cracker dangling in his mouth as his eyes widened like copper bells.
Zephyr's remaining good fist unconsciously clenched tight.
Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru — the three Admirals — for the first time showed the same expression on their faces: pure shock.
Finally, they understood.
This… was the source of Sengoku's confidence!
"That's right."
Sengoku nodded firmly. "All of this was discovered by Hawke and handed over to the Marines!"
"With this vast fortune — enough to buy several entire countries — the Marines finally have the foundation to stand tall!"
"Mhm."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded one after another.
Indeed.
With an entire golden city as their backing, the Marines would now have the leverage to overturn the table against the World Government!
"But…"
Vice Admiral Tsuru raised three fingers, pulling everyone back to reality from their moment of joy.
"Right now, we're facing three critical problems."
Her voice was calm and clear, immediately drawing everyone's focus.
"First, sustained financial generation."
Tsuru swept her gaze across the room.
"The gold on Skypiea may be abundant, but it's ultimately a finite resource — one day, it will run out."
"The Marines must find a stable, self-sustaining source of revenue in order to achieve true, long-term independence."
"Which means… now is not yet the time to fully break ties with the World Government."
"We need time — to quietly build strength in the shadows, to find and establish our own financial foundation."
Everyone nodded gravely.
This would be a long and perilous secret war.
"Second, transportation and secrecy."
Tsuru continued, "Marine Headquarters is far too big a target and crawling with spies. It's not an ideal place to store the gold. The G-3 Branch will become our future treasury."
"However, transporting an entire golden city… secretly, from ten thousand meters up in the sky, without alerting the World Government — especially the CP organizations — is an enormous challenge."
"…"
"I'll go."
Aokiji, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly raised his hand.
He leaned lazily against his chair, but his gaze was unusually firm.
"Leave this to me."
He looked around at everyone, his voice flat but carrying an undeniable weight of resolve.
"I'll personally head to Skypiea and oversee the entire transportation process."
"Any pests who dare to snoop around… will be permanently frozen at the bottom of the ocean."
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged a glance and nodded with satisfaction.
Aokiji, having regained his fighting spirit, was someone they could trust.
"Good!"
Sengoku decided on the spot.
"Kuzan, I'll leave this matter entirely in your hands!"
"The third and most important issue — the defense of the G-3 Branch."
Tsuru turned her gaze toward Akainu.
"G-3 will become the very heart of the Marines. Its safety comes above all else."
"I propose we transfer five absolutely trustworthy Vice Admirals from Headquarters to lead a permanent fleet stationed at G-3."
"Mhm."
Sengoku's eyes sharpened as he added, "And these five Vice Admirals must all be selected from the Hawk Faction!"
"Sakazuki, your thoughts?"
"!!!"
Akainu immediately understood Sengoku and Tsuru's intention.
The Hawk Faction Vice Admirals under his command were the most ruthless and iron-blooded when it came to eradicating evil.
Sending them to defend G-3 had only one purpose — to seal all information with absolute ruthlessness, transforming G-3 into an impenetrable fortress where no leaks were possible.
"I've got no objections," Akainu said in a low, steady voice.
"Yo~"
Kizaru, who had been acting like none of this concerned him, finally spoke up.
"But if we pull away one Admiral and five elite Vice Admirals all at once… won't the Headquarters and our deterrence in the New World be spread a bit too thin~?"
As soon as he said it.
Sengoku, Tsuru, Garp, Zephyr, Akainu, Aokiji…
Everyone's gaze instantly locked onto Kizaru.
That look said everything.
Aokiji would be busy with transporting the gold.
Akainu was already the most burdened with military responsibilities.
And you, one of the three Marine Admirals… and also the biggest slacker in the entire department…
Isn't it about time you… put in some overtime?
"Uh…"
Kizaru's trademark smile froze stiff.
He reluctantly shut his mouth, alarms blaring in his head.
Oh no.
He'd stepped right into it.
"Borsalino."
Sengoku called him out directly.
"Effective immediately, drop all other assignments and take command of Headquarters."
"All defense coordination here, as well as emergency support missions for the Grand Line and New World, will be entirely under your jurisdiction."
"Eh…"
Kizaru's mouth opened in an "O" shape, trying to make an excuse.
Sengoku casually dropped an offer that couldn't be refused.
"Double salary."
"…"
The words "this workload is terrifying" got stuck in Kizaru's throat.
"For every successful support mission, there'll be an additional bonus."
"The more missions you complete, the higher the multiplier on the bonus."
"!!!"
Kizaru shot up straight in his chair.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you know me too well!"
"As a Marine Admiral, helping the Marines share their burdens and easing the Fleet Admiral's pressures… this is my unshirkable responsibility!"